Top 10 Toronto Maple Leafs Busts of the Last 20 Years
#1. Justin Pogge
It stings writing this name as the number-one player on this list, but it’s true.
Pogge was the chosen one. He was supposed to follow the likes of Felix Potvin, Curtis Joseph and Ed Beflour.
After being drafted 90th overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, fans hoped that the Leafs had selected the best goaltender of that draft class. Fun fact: Pekka Rinne wins that award, and he was selected in the 8th (!) Round.
Despite having a good season with the Calgary Hitmen after being drafted, the Leafs decided to draft goaltender Tuuka Rask with the 21st overall selection a year after Pogge.
Although it didn’t seem like a big deal to draft a goaltender with that pick because it would be a long time before Rask even played in the NHL, he quickly became expendable thanks to Pogge’s play.
2006 was a magical year for Pogge. First, he won a Gold Medal as the starting goaltender for Team Canada at the World Junior Championships, and then followed that up by winning the CHL Goaltender of the Year. With 11 shutouts, a 1.72 GAA and .926 SV%, the Leafs felt that Pogge was going to be the goaltender of the future.
However, like the rest of the players on this list, that didn’t happen.
Pogge must have been drinking “Michael’s Secret Stuff” like Bugs Bunny in Space Jam during the 2005-06 season, because he was never able to replicate that year again.
Although he was given the opportunity to develop with the Marlies and would eventually get to play seven games with the Toronto Maple Leafs, he never worked out.
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The most depressing part of Pogge’s career is not the fact that he never excelled as an NHL number-one goaltender, but the fact that the Toronto Maple Leafs fans have had to watch Rask win a Stanley Cup and Vezina Trophy with a Bruins team they despise.
Oh well, you win some and you lose some, and in the circumstance of all 10 players listed, they definitely lost.